Simple Ways to Make Plant-Based Eating Easier

Eating plant-based doesn’t have to mean eating the same boring salads over and over again. It can be just as delicious as, if not more delicious than, an omnivore diet. It also doesn’t have to be super complicated. With go-to resources for recipes and meal prepping, food during the week can be as easy as heating something up.

To start, it’s important to have places to go for recipes. There are countless beginner-friendly, free recipes on Instagram; you just have to know where to look! Some of my favorites include:

@plantbasedrd Balanced, nourishing plant-based recipes from a registered dietitian.

@sophsplantkitchen High-protein, high-fiber plant-based meals that are simple and filling.

@thenarddogcooks Approachable comfort food made vegan.

@plantyou Easy plant-based recipes with low-waste cooking tips.

If you prefer to go more analog, there are plenty of cookbooks with easy plant-based recipes that I have used countless times. Chloe’s Vegan Italian Kitchen by Chloe Coscarelli is basically my childhood, with numerous Italian-inspired meals and desserts made vegan. Check out Chloe’s Vegan Desserts by Chloe Coscarelli if you want even more of her desserts. Oh She Glows by Angela Liddon is a New York Times bestseller that has over 100 recipes, most of them being gluten-free, too. Outside of her free recipes on Instagram, @plantbasedrd also has a cookbook called The Peaceful Kitchen that has Mexican- and Dominican-inspired recipes. If you want quick recipes with short ingredient lists, the ones in Minimalist Baker's Everyday Cooking by Dana Shultz each have 10 ingredients or fewer. When I’m meal prepping, I often reach for Mason Jar Salads and More by Julia Mirabella, which has salads that you simply pour into a bowl when you’re ready to eat.

Whether your inspiration comes from Instagram, cookbooks, or both, these resources can make finding something to eat more fun and less daunting, especially if the recipes are meal-prepped on weekends. Making food ahead of time helps your future self avoid decision paralysis. What to eat is waiting in the refrigerator, ready to be heated up or assembled.

Meal prepping can be as simple as chopping vegetables and making a sauce for a bowl that can be assembled at any time. My go-to bowl at the moment includes chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, hearts of palm, and sprouts, each stored in separate containers in the refrigerator. As a base, I use white rice, the pre-cooked kind that comes in microwaveable packets. For some protein, I sprinkle on crispy tofu. To make it ahead of time, I shred a block of tofu with a box grater, add some avocado oil and taco seasoning, and roast it in the oven at 425°F for around 20 minutes, mixing it halfway through to make it crispy. This can be stored in a container in the refrigerator, too. For a sauce, I use a blender to make a quick cashew cream sauce. This bowl has fiber from the vegetables, protein from the tofu, carbs from the rice, and fats from the sauce, making it a balanced meal with minimal cooking required.

Surrounding yourself with resources and inspiration for plant-based eating, preparing meals ahead of time, and having a supportive community like Plant Based Support that helps you meet others on similar journeys can make this lifestyle feel completely doable.

Explore more plant-based recipes, resources, and community support through Plant Based Support.